What makes a good string quartet programme? Do four classically trained musicians simply pick their favourite pieces, put them in an order and call it a day?
With ÖÖ32 Quartet, it is not quite that simple.
Our repertoire is deliberately varied. Alongside classical music, we play folk music, pop, rock and jazz, and we enjoy finding pieces that can sound completely different when played by a string quartet.
Sometimes it all starts with one piece that one of us really wants to play. Sometimes an idea comes from a particular concert or audience. And sometimes we hear something and immediately think: “We have to play this as ÖÖ32 Quartet!”
Then the real work begins in the rehearsal room. Does the arrangement work? Can four strings capture the energy and character of the original? What should we change, add or leave out?
We like our string quartet programmes to be a little unpredictable. A classical piece can sit next to a folk tune, while a pop song can take on a completely new life through four strings.
In the end, though, there is one thing that matters most: music we genuinely enjoy playing and want to share with our audience.
Because perhaps that is how a good ÖÖ32 Quartet programme really comes together.
